The present invention relates generally to grease separating devices, and more particularly, to such devices having particular applicability in industrial application of modest physical size such as food operations, hospitals and industrial plants, that generate grease as a waste product.
Most conventional grease separating devices comprise a settling container into which the grease is introduced, whereby the grease, having a lower specific gravity, rises to the top of the liquid and forms thereon a top or uppermost layer. Grease is then removed from the container, by manually skimming off the top layer, such as, by means of a bucket. Manual separation is a particularly unclean task, and the grease has a tendency to clog sewer lines.
The most pertinent prior art relating to grease separation comprises those devices useful in picking up oil spills and the like from ocean and inland water ways. Generally, devices of this type, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,024 to Lowe et al, comprise a rotating cylinder or disc partially submerged in the oil-spilled water and a scraper means for scraping and removing the oil from the totating cylinder or disc. In some instances, the rotating cylinder or disc may be made from a material, such as polyethylene, that has a particular adsorptive affinity for oil and petroleum products. Similar theories of operation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,257 to Yates and 3,536,199 to Cornelius. However, these devices are of excess complexity and size, and are primarily designed and useful for recovering oil from oil spills occurring in large bodies of water. Also, as these devices utilize a sealed rotating drum or cylinder, the available surface area of oil pick-up is somewhat limited and incapable of achieving rapid, high volume grease separation within the confined spatial limitations of commercial land-based grease-generating establishments such as restaurants and the like.
Accordingly, it is believed that the present invention provides a unique solution to the problem of grease separation and removal in confined industrial environments.